Thread: D2 front drive/propshaft options

Have a look at www.discovery2.co.uk
and in particular www.discovery2.co.uk / Workshop :- front and Rear propshaft
My d2 has done 271,000km I'm not worried about the propshafts.

Mine has now probably done 170kk and seems nice and tight.
I agree that having the aircon drain onto it cannot do any good and I have fitted a pipe to the aircon drain.
I check mine regularly and recently removed it to double check and all is Ok.

I think stopping in water wouldn't do them much good either.

While this comment may come back and bite me, I think that many explosion problems are from not keeping an eye on thee condition of the DC, as I think that they have to be in a bad way and have been growling away for a long time before they explode.

Chirps, vibration on override etc are symptoms of failure and if heard should bee acted on immediately. Even a stuffed one could get to the next town if loaded up with grease, but treating them as a "gunna do" job is what causes the expensive failure.
Regards Philip A

I wouldn't get too stressed about it. Be concerned if the car has the symptoms otherwise just be aware of the issue for future reference. My D2a did approx. 260,000 kms before I had to rebuild it. Please see answers below:

Originally Posted by D2lee

hi All,


not yet got my D2, but I'm a bit spooked by reading all these issues with the front drive shaft and its potential to cause huge damage.

The D2 I'm getting is 2002 with 98K on the clock.

Please can you advise on the following;

1. is it possible to check if the drive shaft is about to let go? Should I remove the double cardan joint and check for roughness?

Yes it can be done. First is to grab the shaft and move it to see if it has play in the uni's. 2nd to remove and inspect.

2. Can the joint be disassembled and greased. ie. remove the circlips, open up and grease?

Technically yes. However if it was to be disassembled this far, i'd personally replace the uni's with greasable ones. It is not a simple job for the average person, not something you wouldn't do right the first time.

3. It is possible to drill/tap holes in the existing joint and add grease nipples, or are the spiders solid?

Not sure of the answer to this one, but again, answer to Q3 is relevant.

4. Where can I buy the shaft/joint which is greaseable for a reasonable price in Melbourne/Australia?

Check out the vendor section of the forum. Roverlord off road spares are great. The have an e-bay store or you could contact Mario via the forum.

5. Should I take the front drive shaft off until I've upgraded/replaced it?

Not unless it is making noise exhibiting the symptoms of shaft damage.

6. Is there a replacement shaft without the double cardan joint that would fit, eg. of another Land Rover?

Yes. The D1 shaft fits if you also replace the output shaft from the transfer case. This, in my opinion is a temporary measure, especially if you use the D2 off road.

7. I've seen some 4x4s (eg. new Toyota Hilux) with a U-shaped cable/bracket under the drive shafts to catch them if/when the drop off. Has anyone tried this option?

Les Richmond Automotive have a solution similar to this. With a loop setup it is worth considering restricting the movement in all directions which would be tricky.

Front HD Propshaft

Many thanks.

awesome, thanks guys. I've decided to go for the greaseable drive shaft and keep the original as a spare. I'll also put some heat shielding around it to stop some of the heat from the Cats. The trans shield is a good idea too, although it's not yet available for the V8. I might see if I can make up something that goes around the end of the shaft and fits to the cross member.

Basically everything you ever wanted to know in this thread.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...t-problem.html

Jeep Konection in Melbourne keep Tom Wood DC shafts in stock, or you can get one from TW direct in the US.
He's a great bloke to deal with.

Also spotted this in another thread. Something like what I was thinking of.
Not too expensive to experiment with
Universal Drive Shaft Safety Loop

Originally Posted by D2lee

Also spotted this in another thread. Something like what I was thinking of.
Not too expensive to experiment with
Universal Drive Shaft Safety Loop

Great idea But id be carefull as its universal which does not equate to strong nor sturdy . Id be interesred in what it was made of thickness ect might just be suitable for a small car tail shaft